Archive for the ‘Kitty’ Tag

Day before yesterday, I was peacefully knitting in the living room when I heard a loud noise. Crashity-boom-boom-BANG! “It sound like someone coming in with an empty trailer,” I thought, “only they’re going way too fast.” It seemed to go on and on, though, so I got up to look. At first I could see nothing out of the way, then I noticed agitated horses running up and down their pens, and finally I saw a commotion up on the road. People were running toward it from every direction, so I went out to look.

It turned out that a horse trailer, with two horses in it, had come loose from its truck and run wild down the road. It had been going north, but at some point it jumped the center divider, spun around, and went tail first down the embankment. It stayed on its wheels, but the two horses were jammed together and in trouble.

It was, at least, a good place for it to happen. There were lots of people there to help get the horses out and administer first aid. Still, with the heavy traffic, it was a scary situation.

It didn’t take long for the highway patrol to get there, and someone had called Dr. Paul the vet.

It was a relief to see the horses out and standing up. They were cut up and bruised, but standing on their own four legs. Granddaughter Christina reacted with her usual competence, and brought up her truck and trailer. The two horses loaded up and headed in. It turned out that they were our boarders, and had been headed home.

My worst moment came at the beginning of the whole thing, when someone shouted, “One of those is the horse Andrew rides!” Immediately I visualized Kitty in the middle of the wreck; but it wasn’t her. Andrew reassured me that she was safely in her pen.

It looks like the horses will be all right, if a long time healing. We heard that the cause was a too-small ball on the truck, which allowed the hitch to bounce loose. The emergency chains held briefly, but snapped and sent the trailer off on its own. It was so lucky that no cars on the road were hit. All in all, it could have been a lot worse.

I told Billy later, “I’ve seen a lot of trucks come in without trailers, but that’s the first time I’ve seen a trailer come in without a truck!”

On a more cheerful note, here is little Weston on Kitty, with his family — and his hat. It might be more accurate to say the hat is wearing Weston.

I may not be posting as much as I used to, but there are times that I just have to. Yesterday, for example, when grandson Andrew and great-grandson Weston rode up on Kitty, I was sure I would get a great picture.

Better try it from the other side; the light’s better. Look this way, Weston!

Oh, well. Try again. Look this way, Kitty!

Well, this time I got a good one.

Darn. Weston blinked. Oh, well; maybe next time!

All’s well here; Billy passed his last check up with flying colors. We’re about to enter another heat wave, but the end is in sight now. Many kids are going back to school, and the days are perceptibly shorter. Still, the saying is that fall won’t be here until after the county fair, and that’s almost always been true. Then I’ll get out and about more, and I hope I’ll do more blogging.

We’re due for our second heat wave of the summer — starting on the official first day of summer, which seems appropriate. They’re forecasting at least ten days over a hundred. We’ll hope they’re wrong.

Marion and I got in one last ride Friday, before the heat sets in, and here are the requisite pictures.

Marion . . .

And me . . .

Xena made it into the picture, but Peaches is still swimming happily in the lovely cool water. It’ll be the last time here for a while, though I’ll still take them down to the stretch of river by our house in the evenings.

I did manage to get in a ride yesterday, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. My boon companion Marion is down with a wrenched knee (I hope you’re better soon, Marion). This was probably the last reasonably cool day for a long, time, so I wanted to get out there. I knew that one of Kitty’s many virtues is that she behaves just as well when she is alone as she does with companions. If you are a trail rider, you know how nice it is to have a horse who will walk home on a loose rein.

First, I passed a neighboring garden, which was looking really good. I liked the sign.

We stuck close to the riverside, as Peaches was along. She took every opportunity to have a dip.

Here’s the obligatory shot through Kitty’s ears.

Help, Mom! The swamp monster has us!

Actually, they were standing in the water, as you can see by the plume of black sediment streaming away. The water is quite green upstream, but not so much by us. Maybe that’s because there’s been water there long enough for it to grow algae; maybe because it’s moving much less than it is downstream.

This was very likely Peaches’ last chance to go along on a ride until fall. She does not take the heat well, even with frequent dips. I’m glad that she had a good time!

Marion and I went out again yesterday, to enjoy the green grass while it’s still there. Kitty seemed to appreciate it, too. Just look at those attentive ears. (If you look closely, you’ll see Xena and Peaches wondering why we’re so slow.)

Of course, she didn’t get to actually eat any of that luscious-looking stuff. There’s grass at home I’ll let her nibble.

It wasn’t too far down the trail that we came upon evidence of busy beavers.

Farther on, we stopped at the dam. Peaches thought she might swim out and visit the beaver family.

It turned out there was nobody home. Or at least no one that wanted to talk to Peaches.

Farther upriver, the water was much cleaner. Xena decided it was nice enough for her to swim, too.

She had to have a good shake when she got out, though.

You can see what a beautiful day it was by looking at the mountains in the background. It’s been warm, but so hazy that the mountains were invisible.

There’s no rain in sight, so it’s not going to be green for long. We’re appreciating it while we’ve got it, and hope to get in a drive to look for wildflowers in the next day or two. Those of us who don’t see much green sure appreciate it a lot!

Marion and I hit the trail yesterday, though not very far. Kitty and I are both a bit out of shape.

We hadn’t gone far when we came upon a large yellow-flowered bush — I think it’s a bladderpod — which practically demanded to have its picture taken.

I might have trimmed it down, but I kind of liked Kitty’s sharp-eared shadow, and the tiny lavender stars of filaree. That’s rather a pretty word. It might make a nice name for a dainty little filly.

Anyway, we then took each other’s picture, as usual. First I took Marion’s, with EZ . . .

Then she took mine, with Kitty and Xena . . . Peaches was there, but she was off somewhere sitting in a puddle.

It was a lovely day, if a bit hazy. The mountains were not in sight, though you can see the bluffs in the far background.

It won’t be green like this for very long, I’m afraid. There’s no rain in the ten-day forecast. The mountains will stay green longer, though, and the news has been showing pictures of the hills ablaze with early wildflowers. We hope to get up to see them before they are gone.